Thorndike Claims More Medical Attention Will Cut Sports Injuries

Athletic teams could greatly reduce disabling injuries to their players by requiring "more adequate medical coverage of practice and game participation," according to the chief surgeon to the University Health Service.

A physician must be given the sole responsibility in determining when an athlete is physically fit for competition and when he should be removed from a game, Dr. Augustus Thorndike'17 claimed in the current Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The team physician's prerogatives of early diagnosis and treatment must not be usurped by coach or trainer, lest a minor injury become aggravated by continued play, causing a long period of disability," he said.

Dr. Thorndike also called for a nation-wide tabulation of athletic injuries. This would provide the data necessary for the formulation of a program aimed at reducing that number.

'Nonenforcement'

Game officials, moreover, must exercise a firm control over infractions of the rules, which cause a great many injuries each year. "Nonenforcement of the rules of the game spoils the sport, and, in some sports, the sole official may have too great a responsibility.... Perhaps the fault lies in the rules, but perhaps it is the laxity in officiating," he added.

Dr. Thorndike suggested compulsory preseason physical examinations, thorough training and practice, and complete medical attention as methods of reducing athletic injuries.